Lori Ward, executive director of Figure Skating in Detroit (FSD), center, stands with her students. Leading ladies of the Dream Detroit Skating Academy, right, pave the way for ice skaters following in their footsteps.
Photos courtesy of Figure Skating in Detroit and Dream Detroit Skating Academy
If you Google, “Black ice skater statistics,” interesting results come up with more questions than answers it seems.
“Are there any Black-figure skaters?” Another one asks: “Where are the people of color at the winter Olympics?”
According to statistics, white people make up the most common ice-skating coaches to date (67.2 percent) while Black people make up 9.3 percent.
As far as Black female figure skaters, Starr Andrews is quickly gaining steam in this primarily white-dominated field as a 19-year-old skater who says it can be “a hard life for people of color” due to being racially profiled on and off the ice.
Noted as the top African American figure skater in 2021 – described as “the most accomplished of this century” – she looks to the likes of Mabel Fairbanks who was a giant in the ice-skating field because of her skills. Fairbanks, however, was not able to compete on the U.S. team in the Olympics in the 1930s because she was Black. Fairbanks later went on to become a U.S. Figure Skating Hall of Fame coach and later died in 2001 at 85 years old.
Living the Dream
Locally, barriers are being broken in this ice skating arena as Detroit’s first figure skating club owned and operated by Black women, Dream Detroit Skating Academy (DDSA), opened recently and has already received fanfare and accolades around the nation.
From news and magazine articles shining a spotlight on the club, DDSA received their just dues for opening its skating academy, which offers group and private lessons that will prepare students for a variety of figure skating disciplines.
“We are taking it all in and [are] really excited,” one of the co-owners and Detroit native Angela Blocker-Loyd, who owns a local dance studio, told the Michigan Chronicle. “We are happy about the response and support we have gotten from the community.”
Fellow co-owner and Detroit native Candice Tamakloe, a teacher at Troy Public Schools, grew up participating in figure skating clubs (similar to Blocker-Loyd) in the metro area including the Detroit Skating Club and the Berkley Royal Blades Figure Skating Club where they met.
The two ladies noticed that not only did they have to leave the city limits to find most of their training, but they were also two of only a few other African American figure skaters in the region. Tamakloe and Blocker-Loyd launched Dream Detroit Skating Academy with hopes of “being the change they wish to see.”
“Angela and I were very blessed to enjoy rare opportunities like figure skating and ice performances as kids,” said Tamakloe. “However, having to travel outside of our own community, the fees and time commitment saddled on top of coaching and equipment fees were quite taxing on our families.”
Blocker-Loyd agrees. “Growing up one of a few, I know first-hand what it’s like not to fully connect with your leaders or even conceptualize dreams like ice skating coming to fruition,” explained Blocker-Loyd. “Even as I work to plan the launch of our skating club, it still feels unreal that something so amazing is actually happening–it’s a dream come true!”
Providing Access
Youth ages 4 and up will gain skill-building opportunities ranging from Learn to Skate classes to competitive and ice show performances.
According to the Skillman Foundation, many of Detroit’s youth lack access to high-quality after-school enrichment and athletic opportunities usually as a result of cost and location. Children of low-income families spend 4,000 hours less than their middle-class counterparts engaged in after-school and summer programs by sixth grade.
With Detroit being a primarily Black city, with many residents living well below the median income of around $44,000 (with a poverty rate at 35 percent) according to https://worldpopulationreview.com, it can be easy to see why most Detroit youth are at risk to miss opportunities like those DDSA offers.
DDSA’s courses will officially commence on February 25 and are available on Fridays and Saturdays. Metro-Detroit residents who are interested in the program can visit the arena located at the Adams Butzel Recreation Center during the clinic to learn more about DDSA, its policies, procedures, prices, enrollment requirements and instructors.
Launched with the intent to provide affordable and accessible figure skating lessons to low-income youth in Detroit, DDSA offers recreational and pre-professional performance opportunities for its students.
DDSA’s program offers six-week-long skate sessions. It welcomes skaters at any skill level and tailors the instruction to help each student up-skill. Each skate season will culminate with an ice show at which all students can showcase the skills they’ve learned. DDSA also will offer a competitive segment of enrollment for students whose skills can sustain its competitive demands.
Skaters are required to purchase their own skates (roughly at a cost of $150 along with equipment) and sponsorship opportunities are available for some families unable to pay for the full cost.
Tamakloe also emphasized that the programs are not just for girls, but boys are encouraged to also participate.
“We know that figure skating is not a traditional sport for males but learning to skate can lead to learning how to play hockey and speed skating,” she said, adding that adults can join as well. “Anyone had an interest in skating … who we would love to come out.”
Paving the Way
Lori Ward, executive director of Figure Skating in Detroit (FSD), a non-profit youth development program for girls of color, told the Michigan Chronicle that as the first and only organization of its kind in the city of Detroit, she appreciates the value that her organization and Dream Detroit both bring to the table.
“We wish them the best,” Ward said adding that it is a positive thing to have numerous youth skating opportunities for children in Detroit.
Ward also said that as a full youth development program, which includes a figure skating program, they highlight figure skating for girls of color.
“We … marry the worlds of athletics … [and] academic achievements and leadership opportunities on and off the ice,” Ward said.
FSD has held annual events such as Skating with the Stars, Spring Ice Shows, Summer Dreams program, city-wide leadership workshops and winter skating clinics taught by Olympians.
“We are here all-year-round,” Ward said, adding that the students have to keep their grades up because it’s a “privilege being on the ice.”
More details about FSD programs can be found at https://www.figureskatingindetroit.org.
For more information about Dream Detroit visit www.DreamDetroitSkate.com.
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